Cited by 526Microplastics and Plastic PollutionPharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental ImpactsEnvironmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

Is there any consistency between the microplastics found in the field and those used in laboratory experiments?

Phuong, Nam Ngoc, Zalouk-Vergnoux, Aurore, Poirier, Laurence, Kamari, Abderrahmane, Châtel, Amélie, Mouneyrac, Catherine, Lagarde, Fabienne·2016·Environmental Pollution

Abstract

The ubiquitous presence and persistency of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments are of particular concern since they represent an increasing threat to marine organisms and ecosystems. Great differences of concentrations and/or quantities in field samples have been observed depending on geographical location around the world. The main types reported have been polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The presence of MPs in marine wildlife has been shown in many studies focusing on ingestion and accumulation in different tissues, whereas studies of the biological effects of MPs in the field are scarce. If the nature and abundance/concentrations of MPs have not been systematically determined in field samples, this is due to the fact that the identification of MPs from environmental samples requires mastery and execution of several steps and techniques. For this reason and due to differences in sampling techniques and sample preparation, it remains difficult to compare the published studies. Most laboratory experiments have been performed with MP concentrations of a higher order of magnitude than those found in the field. Consequently, the ingestion and associated effects observed in exposed organisms have corresponded to great contaminant stress, which does not mimic the natural environment. Medium contaminations are produced with only one type of polymer of a precise sizes and homogenous shape whereas the MPs present in the field are known to be a mix of many types, sizes and shapes of plastic. Moreover, MPs originating in marine environments can be colonized by organisms and constitute the sorption support for many organic compounds present in environment that are not easily reproducible in laboratory. Determination of the mechanical and chemical effects of MPs on organisms is still a challenging area of research. Among the potential chemical effects it is necessary to differentiate those related to polymer properties from those due to the sorption/desorption of organic compounds.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.12.035

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Authors
Phuong, N. N., Zalouk-Vergnoux, A., Poirier, L., Kamari, A., Châtel, A., Mouneyrac, C., & Lagarde, F.
Affiliations
  • Université catholique de l'ouest (FR)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Venue
Environmental Pollution
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-04
Volume
211
Pages
111-123
ISSN
0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2213763197
Cited by
526
References
103
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 81 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 17
FWCI
2.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
Keywords
microplastics, marine microplastics, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, microplastic ingestion, organic compound sorption, polymer properties
MeSH terms
Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Pollution, Laboratories, Plastics, Ecosystem, Polyethylene, Aquatic Organisms

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